National Landscape Character Areas (NLCA)
This dataset comprises of boundaries for the 48 regional landscape character areas for Wales. The purpose of this data capture was to geographically distinguish different regions in Wales in terms of landscape identity and what characteristics and qualities make one region different and distinct from another. These distinctions and policy drivers for this project are described, together with an illustrated narrative, and published on Natural Resources Wales (NRW's) website. This dataset covers 100% of terrestrial Wales including inter-tidal areas. Boundary data derived from source data 2007-2008 with the final version being amended October 2008. Some area names were amended in August 2023 to match written profile documents, and to reflect official status change for the names Eryri and Bannau Brycheiniog.
- Identification
- Extent
- Distribution
- Quality
- Keywords
- Spatial Reference System
- Content
- Constraints
- Maintenance
- Metadata
Identification
- Identifier
- NRW_DS109859
- Alternative Title
-
- Landscape character areas.LYR
- National Landscape Character Area
- Regional landscape character map for Wales
- The character map- rLCA- Map cymeriad tirwedd rhanbarthol ar gyfer Cymru, National landscape character map.
- Metadata Language
- English
- Lineage
-
Boundaries were created from an analysis of some 40+ existing environmental datasets plus a selection of site visits. Of note, this work includes reference to both the physical environment and human perceptions of it. Landscape is about the meeting of people and place, not just about place, as such, the boundaries were not derived mechanically from datasets but were also derived using some professional judgement, following site visits and preliminary work on mapping people's perceptions of how the Welsh landscape divides into 'broydd' (areas with a distinct sense of place that people commonly relate to). Mapping scale was 1:250,000 - so this dataset has very generalised boundaries. However, as the object of the exercise was to identify broad regions, concern over whether the boundary runs this side or that side of a road or field are not relevant within the scale of the regions being identified. For example 'Vale of Clwyd', 'Gower', Montgomeryshire Hills and Vales'. Instead, boundaries should be assumed to approximate broad zones of transition from one landscape area to another. Some landscapes presented strong physical features along which to run boundary lines, whereas other landscapes were found to be complex mosaics that gradually changed, or had subtle changes with few obvious single physical lines to follow. The resources of the project did not allow for detailed resolution of such boundaries and short cuts, typically in the form of following a generalised contour line, have often been used to complete the exercise. Islands are not included in the GIS dataset available to download, however they are included as contextual features within National Landscape Character Area (NLCA) description profiles and their map images. Islands are encompassed within the equivalent characterisation of seascapes, being the National Marine Character Areas (NMCA), also available to download on Datamap Wales”.
- Additional Information
-
CCW Policy Research Report 07/19 explains the method in more detail. The perception related work ('Heuristic Mapping') is described in CCW Policy Research report 08/11. This is the first published dataset. Land Use Consultants (LUC) produced a first GIS version dated August 2007, but CCW did not publish this, and it is now superseded by the published version here.
- Dataset Reference Date (Publication)
- 2023-09-18
Temporal Extent
- Begin date
- 2007-04-01
- End date
- 2023-09-18
- Topic category
-
- Boundaries
Extent
Extent
- Geographic Extent
- Wales (WLS)
Distribution
Distribution
- Format Type and Description
-
-
Geographic Information System
Geographic Information System
()
- Specification
-
ESRI Feature Class
-
Geographic Information System
Geographic Information System
()
- Resource Locator
-
Download data
World Wide Web page
- Resource Locator
-
Web Mapping service
World Wide Web page
Quality
Data quality
- Quality Scope
- Dataset
- Lineage
-
Boundaries were created from an analysis of some 40+ existing environmental datasets plus a selection of site visits. Of note, this work includes reference to both the physical environment and human perceptions of it. Landscape is about the meeting of people and place, not just about place, as such, the boundaries were not derived mechanically from datasets but were also derived using some professional judgement, following site visits and preliminary work on mapping people's perceptions of how the Welsh landscape divides into 'broydd' (areas with a distinct sense of place that people commonly relate to). Mapping scale was 1:250,000 - so this dataset has very generalised boundaries. However, as the object of the exercise was to identify broad regions, concern over whether the boundary runs this side or that side of a road or field are not relevant within the scale of the regions being identified. For example 'Vale of Clwyd', 'Gower', Montgomeryshire Hills and Vales'. Instead, boundaries should be assumed to approximate broad zones of transition from one landscape area to another. Some landscapes presented strong physical features along which to run boundary lines, whereas other landscapes were found to be complex mosaics that gradually changed, or had subtle changes with few obvious single physical lines to follow. The resources of the project did not allow for detailed resolution of such boundaries and short cuts, typically in the form of following a generalised contour line, have often been used to complete the exercise. Islands are not included in the GIS dataset available to download, however they are included as contextual features within National Landscape Character Area (NLCA) description profiles and their map images. Islands are encompassed within the equivalent characterisation of seascapes, being the National Marine Character Areas (NMCA), also available to download on Datamap Wales”.
Keywords
Keywords
- Type
- Theme
Citation
- Date (Publication)
- 2008-06-01
Keywords
- NRW Thesaurus
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- landscape character assessment
- spatial plan
- landscapes
- Type
- Theme
Citation
- Date (Publication)
- 2023-12-31
Keywords
-
NRW SMNR Vocabulary
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- Mountains, Moorland and Heaths (SMNR)
- Woodlands (SMNR)
- Urban (SMNR)
- Physical Geography (physiography) (SMNR)
- Geological (SMNR)
- Semi-Natural Grasslands (SMNR)
- Landscape (SMNR)
- Enclosed Farmlands (SMNR)
- Freshwater and Wetlands (SMNR)
- Soil and Land (SMNR)
- Ecosystem Services (SMNR)
- Regulating Services (SMNR)
- Provisioning Services (SMNR)
- Cultural Services (SMNR)
- Type
- Theme
Citation
- Date (Revision)
- 2023-12-27
Spatial Reference System
Content
Content Information
NRW Profile
Custom Elements
- NRW Related Title
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Heuristic mapping analysis
- NRW Related Title
-
Landscape character map for Wales : character area descriptions
- NRW Related Title
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https://naturalresources.wales/evidence-and-data/maps/nlca/?lang=en
Constraints
Constraints
Limitations on Public Access and Use
- Restriction type
- Other restrictions
Access Constraints Directive
- Limitations
- no limitations
Access Constraints Text
- Other constraints
-
There are no access restrictions on this data. NRW may release, publish or disseminate it freely.
Use Constraints
- Use constraints type
- Other restrictions
- Other constraints
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© CNC/NRW All rights Reserved. Contains Ordnance Survey Data. Ordnance Survey Licence number AC0000849444. Crown Copyright and Database Right. Data may be re-used under the terms of the Open Government Licence providing it is done so, acknowledging both the source and copyright of the owners. It is the recipient's responsibility to ensure the data is fit for the intended purpose.
Attribution Statement
- Other constraints
- Open Government Licence (OGL)
Licence
- Other constraints
- Open Government Licence (OGL)
Metadata
Metadata
- File Identifier
- 4f4c4942-4343-5764-6473-313039383539 XML
- Metadata Language
- English
- Resource type
- Dataset
- Metadata Date
- 2024-05-30T15:35:55.812Z
- Metadata Standard Name
- NRW
- Metadata Standard Version
-
1.0